Boston Cream Cake for Breakfast ~ it's going to be a GREAT day!

Beef Barley Soup

Several days ago I made a beef roast in the crock pot.  I chopped onions, celery, carrots and large chunks of potato and placed them in the bottom of the pot.  Then I added just enough water to cover the veggies.  I rubbed a dry package of Onion Soup Mix on the beef roast and placed it on top of the veggies and slow cooked it all day.  We enjoyed a great dinner that night.   This soup was made from the leftovers.  I simply chopped the potatoes and left over beef in smaller pieces; add a can of Italian Stewed Tomatoes, three cups of water, basil and oregano, 2 beef bouillon cubes and ½ cup of barley.  I also had the smallest amount of left over broccoli and zucchini so I add that too for good measure.

The soup was very, very tasty and filling.  Leftovers make the best base for soup, check it out.

The Best Ever Macaroni Salad

Tonight, I wanted to test last night’s observation (it’s the little things that make a meal special).  So along with my families favorite pan fried chicken (yes, I use bacon grease) I made an extra special macaroni salad. 

The macaroni salad stole the show!  We had company join us for dinner and he raved about the macaroni salad.  You can see it pictured here.  All I did was add a cup of fresh peas, topped it with bacon and shredded sharp cheddar cheese and there you have it ~ the “Best Ever Macaroni Salad.”

Try it or your own creation and let me know how it was.  Till next time ~  happy cooking (and eating).

Shrimp Salad

Sometimes it’s the little things that make a meal special.  Last night I simply toasted our buns and added a handful of cooked shrimp to the salad.  My family was so complementary of the meal.  It only took a little extra effort to do those simple things but it had a big impact on everyone.  We really enjoyed the meal!

Navy Bean Soup

Left- over ham (and ham bone) makes the best bean soup.  This is a light bean soup recipe my family loves.  I recommend it to all who love a good homemade soup.

Betsy’s Navy Bean Soup (makes four good sized servings)

I soaked 8 oz. of navy bean overnight, then I rinsed them in the morning, added four cups of cold water and boiled them for 5 minutes, removed them for the heat, covered and let them stand for one hour.

Next I added the ham bone, one and half cups of additional water, 2 tablespoons of minced onion, a pinch of ground black pepper, one bay leaf and about ¾ cups of sliced carrots and ½ cup of sliced celery.  I brought this to a boil, reduced the heat, covered and simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes.  I then took the ham bone out of the soup, let it cool and removed and chopped bits of ham and added it back to the soup.  Reheated the soup and served it with corn bread. 

I had the leftovers for lunch today and remembered I haven’t been updating my blog so here you go… bean soup!

Grilled Ham

Several days ago, I grilled a large bone-in ham on the outdoor barbeque.  It was delicious!  The grill added such a unique flavor.   I also grilled skewers with chunks of pineapple, squash, onions, mushrooms and tomatoes.   What you see in the photo is a baked potato with salsa (instead of butter and sour cream) steamed vegetables and left over ham and pineapple.  We also enjoyed many yummy sandwiches, and eggs with ham for breakfast.  If you haven’t ever grilled a ham, check it out, you won’t be disappointed.

Spaghetti

I browned the leftover hamburger with onions and garlic and added fresh chopped tomatoes and oregano from my garden.   I then added a 26 ½ oz. can of Del Monte Traditional spaghetti sauce ($0.89 at Winco) and let it simmer for about 30 minutes while I cooked the noodles and made a salad. 

I love stretching our food dollars and preparing several different meals from one package of meat.

This is the second meal I’ve made with a one pound package of ground beef.  Yesterday, I made three 1/4lb. hamburgers for the family.  Tomorrow I’ll make chili with the leftover sauce.  

B.B.Q. Hamburgers

Ground beef and chopped onions grilled and topped with avocado, pickle, and tomato!  Yum....